DISCUSSION: General Deadline Thoughts

Come On You People Can See How Upset I am, I was really expecting a dman.....It sort of feels like Im a kid waking up on Christmas and getting nothing

I remember once, when I was 13. I asked my parents for my own TV set. They always had a way of putting little notes, like "find your gift in the spare room closet", so I opened every gift carefully. Meticulously. Checking in every crevase looking for the note. After all the presents were opened and I was standing amongs a pile of new clothes, games, new baseball glove, remote control R2-D2.... I started kicking stuff and told my parents that I hated them. I took all my gifts and threw them in the kitchen garbage can.

Santa brought me a big forward and centre that can win a few face-offs. I'm not complaining that he didn't bring me a TV set.

Don, you do understand why people are worried right? This team has looked bad againat good teams since Stevens left and even when he comes back who is to say he will be close to the Scott Stevens we know and love and need to be successful? There are a lot more question marks surrounding this team than in years past. Combine that with the upgrades of the other contending teams and you have worry.

Pete: *sigh* Maybe it's a matter of 8 years of ranting and raving on mailing lists and now web-boards about what Lou has or has not done, what the coach has or has not done, what a player has or has not done has worn on this old vet. I'm more willing to go with the flow. No more fists in the wall. No more pulling out of the hair (mostly because it was all pulled out in previous deadlines).

Never again do I "worry" about the Devils. I'm going to enjoy whatever Lou serves up. No more tilting at windmills. No more raising Cain.

Do I know that we've had trouble against +500 teams? I think it was I that documented that last week.... Do I know that we've had trouble keeping the puck out of own net? Absolutely.

Maybe I'm just grateful for R2-D2 and the new clothes. And the fact that we still have a chance, as limited as some people feel it is due to the above reasons, to compete. I'm gonna enjoy my hockey and cheer on the Devils the best I can without getting all worked up that Lou didn't get me a TV set.

8 years on the List? Damn, time flies. I wanted to keep the TV analogy going but I think a car analogy works better. When you have gotten Ferraris every year you start to expect them. Then one year you get a Z3 and it is cool but everyone on your block is getting a Porsche, you get a little disappointed and concerned that you cannot keep up with them. I will enjoy the Devils no matter what but with the lockout coming next year and the chance at back to back Cups and four in 10 years you really hoped to get that Ferrari just one more time.

"The New York football Giants marched into Little D and made 'America's Team' their prison bitch....[and next week the G-Men] will push the Packers up and down the frozen tundra like their own private zamboni!" -- Carl from Adult Swim

I must say I'm surprised that they didn't get another defenseman - even if Stevens is back in plenty of time for the playoffs, they still have two rookies and a wearing-down Albelin among the candidates for the final D pairing. I'm especially suprised they didn't get Hill after the market dwindled for him. If he was a UFA (I'm not sure of his contract status), Lou had the Canes over a barrel and still passed; I guess that would mean Hill REALLY sucks

I'm shocked they are going to go into the playoffs apparently with Clemmensen as the backup - unless the Devils not trading for a backup is an indication that Schwab's a little better off than it seemed as if he was. Still I'd at least give Clemmensen more of an opportunity down the stretch (starting with Thursday) to prove he can do the job AND to rest Marty regardless.

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"The Devils have high standards, that's the difference. We have a standard to live up to every year, and a couple of teams in our area don't have the standards we do." - Pat Burns

The New Jersey Devils win Stanley Cups everywhere:-NHL record for most road wins in the playoffs - 10-1 in '95 and 10-2 in '00-NHL record for most home wins in the playoffs - 12-1 in '03

"When we were struggling at the beginning of the year we were wondering what was wrong and trying to find reasons. At the end of the day, all we had to do was look in the mirror and the answers were right there." -- Sergei Brylin 12/2/2007